Chapter 8

• Katherine’s POV
• The moment Jason stepped out of the room, hell broke loose. My mind was racing, but the muted noises coming from outside the door swiftly brought me back to reality.
• They were discussing something.
• A loud thump echoed in the air, clearly the noise of a knuckle hitting skin.
• I jumped out of bed, the ache in my body suddenly numb. "Oh no," I murmured, hurrying to the door and flinging it wide.
• The view caused my breath to catch. Jason's towel was just about clinging to his waist, his face reddened with anger, and a blood stain on his cheek. Across from him, the doctor, Michael stood with his hand in a fist, his normally calm expression contorted with rage.
• “Jason, you’re such an arrogant jerk!” Michael hurled.
• Jason cleaned his mouth, a sly grin twisting his lips. "And you’re an envious little pretender who will never be enough," he snarled, swinging a fist and connecting a punch directly on Michael's chin.
• “Cut it out!” I shouted as I entered the corridor. “What are you two doing?”
• They both stopped, turning to me.
• "You are my mates!" I shouted, tears pooling in my eyes. "You don't have to fight for me. This isn’t… this isn’t how it should be!"
• Jason’s rigid posture relaxed a bit. “Katherine…” He approached me, his voice softer now, nearly remorseful.
• I shook my head, raising a hand to stop him. “You don’t get to say sorry while throwing punches at each other. None of you do! You’re supposed to figure this out, not act like… like…” My voice cracked. “Animals!”
• Michael stepped back, his anger ebbing as guilt flickered across his face.
• Jason let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his damp red hair. “There’s nothing to figure out, Katherine. You’re mine.”
• The possessiveness in his tone sent a shiver through me—not entirely unpleasant but still unsettling.
• Michael scoffed. “Yours? Is that what you think? Newsflash, Jason. She’s our mate, not just yours. You don’t get to claim her like some prize.”
• “I’m not going to share her with you,” Jason snarled, his alpha dominance rippling in the air.
• “Enough!” My voice cracked as I shouted. The tears I’d been holding back spilled over. “I’m not ready to choose, okay? I can’t just pick one of you. It’s not fair!”
• James, who had been quietly watching from the side, stepped forward, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Katherine,” he began, his voice soft yet firm, “Jason’s right. This situation… it’s complicated. But you do have to make a decision. We can’t keep pretending this will work otherwise.”
• Michael nodded reluctantly, his jaw tight. “You’ll have to choose, Katherine. For all of our sakes.”
• Their words felt like daggers. My chest ached as I looked between them—Jason’s fiery, determined gaze, Michael’s cool, steady expression, and James’s rare seriousness.
• I cried, unable to stop myself. “All of you are unbearable,” I managed to say, spinning around and shutting the door.
• I leaned my back against it, dropping to the floor as tears shook me. How can they expect me to choose? They were all my mates. And yet, they were pulling me in different directions. Tearing me apart to please them. Why? They were my mates. All of them.
• On the opposite side of the door, I could hear Jason’s voice, softer now. “Katherine…”
• “Leave me alone!” I shouted, my voice hoarse from crying. “Just… just go. Please.”
• For a moment, there was silence. Then, the soft noise of footsteps fading away reverberated through the corridor.
• I covered my face with my hands, feeling overwhelmed.
• How was I supposed to decide? How could I choose between them when all I wanted was for them to stop fighting and see me—not as a prize or a burden, but as a person trying to figure this mess out?
• James’ POV
• My brothers can't last two seconds without bickering like fools. I reclined against the corridor wall, observing the chaos with a blend of entertainment and annoyance. Jason and Michael are once more at odds with each other. What was new?
• It was like watching the past play out in real-time—only this time, it wasn’t Dad or Pack politics. It was Katherine.
• For Jason, it must feel like the past is happening all over again. Only this time, he’s not sharing Dad with Michael; he’s sharing his mate. The thought of Jason having to relinquish even a fraction of control must be eating him alive.
• And me?
• I felt like I was going mad.
• I lost my true mate years ago in that damn car wreck. For so long, I thought I’d never heal, that the Moon Goddess had cursed me to live out the rest of my life without the bond that makes us whole. And now, against all odds, she’s given me a second chance. A second chance with her. Katherine.
• I won’t let my brothers waste it.
• Katherine’s scream startled me out of my thoughts, and I instinctively pushed off the wall, ready to intervene. But she was already storming back into her room, crying.
• When the door slammed shut, I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. “Nice job, idiots,” I muttered under my breath as Jason glared at me.
• “What’s your problem?” Jason barked, his alpha dominance flaring up.
• “You, mostly.” I smirked, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “And Michael, too. Seriously, the two of you are acting like a couple of hormonal teenagers. No wonder she slammed the door in your faces.”
• Michael scoffed but didn’t say anything, wiping the blood from his lip as he avoided Jason’s glare.
• “Enough,” Jason growled. “We’re taking this to my office. Now.”
• He headed to his room to get dressed while Michael and I waited in his office. This very office was once mine too. But the events of the last three years pushed me to a more care free life and caused me to abandon my responsibilities as head Alpha. My brother handled the weight better, doing the job for the both of us. Deep down, I could tell he resented me.
• …
• The tension in Jason’s office was suffocating. Jason paced behind his desk, his hands clenched into fists. Michael stood near the window, his arms crossed as he glared out at the pack lands. I slouched in one of the chairs, twirling a whiskey glass I’d found on Jason’s shelf. It was empty, but that didn’t stop me from pretending.
• Jason stopped pacing, his eyes narrowing at me. “What the hell are you doing sober, James?”
• The question hit harder than it should have, but I kept my face neutral. “Maybe I’m trying something new. You know, being responsible. Unlike you two.”
• Jason snorted, leaning against his desk. “Responsible? That’s rich, coming from you. Last I checked, you’ve spent the last three years drowning yourself in booze and women.”
• “And yet, here I am, sober, and trying to help fix this mess. What’s your excuse, Jason? Afraid of sharing?”
• Michael stepped in before Jason could retort. “Both of you need to grow up. I’m the only one here who seems to have any sense of what’s at stake.” He turned his sharp gaze on Jason. “She’s not just your mate, Jason. She’s mine, too. And James’s. You don’t get to act like you’re the only one who matters in this equation.”
• Jason’s jaw tightened, but Michael pressed on. “I don’t trust either of you to handle this properly. That’s why I’m moving back into the pack house. Someone needs to make sure Katherine doesn’t end up a casualty of your egos.”
• Jason’s eyes blazed. “You’re not moving in. This is my pack, Michael.”
• “Funny, considering you’ve been acting more like a territorial child than an Alpha,” Michael shot back, his voice cold.
• The argument escalated, voices overlapping as tempers flared. I stayed silent, watching them with detached amusement. They didn’t realize they were proving my point: neither of them was thinking clearly. Katherine stirred something within each one of us.
• Then, a knock at the door interrupted everyone.
• Jason’s beta, Derrick, stepped in, his expression tense but professional. “Alpha, there are people here. They’re asking for Katherine.”
• The room went still.
• Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”
• The beta hesitated. “They didn’t give their names, but they’re insistent. Said it was urgent.”
• I sat up straighter, my mind racing. Michael frowned, his posture rigid. Jason’s jaw clenched as he exchanged a look with his beta.
• “Bring them in,” Jason said finally, his voice like steel.
• Derrick hesitated, looking back at us. “Sorry Alpha, but you’ll have to come see this for yourself.’’
• My brothers and I looked at each other. Jason got up, Michael and I followed him. We were each dreading to meet these people.
• Who was here to see Katherine?